The Gulf of Mexico is home to a wide variety of marine life.
The Atlantic bluefin tuna stands in these waters
sperm whales inhabit the area year round
and whale sharks frequent the northern Gulf often 5
of the world's sea turtle species are found in the Gulf of Mexico
. All of these marine creatures depend on the solution for
survival.
Yet there is another species the depends on something else.
What
we
will.
4 years ago.
The Gulf of Mexico is immeasurably changed.
Rural
bands of oil sheen still drift along the sea and coastline.
We have been continually altering the seascapes
in the Gulf for many years.
Today,
the Gulf of Mexico is a virtual city of oil and gas platforms
this stretch farther than the eye can see
eclipsing the horizon.
Whether the Gulf
whatever we cover.
There still remains a mystery
mirror how we got here
is not.
Slice of power.
The dream of oil
well you know what makes your whole run
for millions of years
this source of power slept
peacefully in the dark recesses of the year
until modern magic
lose the liquid energy from its subterranean prison
grade areas became.
Second only to taxes.
Oil is the greatest revenue in the US Treasury.
In 1896
the first offshore drilling rigs were established on the
continental shelf near the coast of Santa Barbara,
California
in 1969
Santa Barbara experienced the worst environmental disaster of the
time
over 2.5 million gallons of crude oil
gushed into the ocean after a blowout at an offshore drilling rig
over 100 miles of pristine California beach were littered
with oily dead birds and marine animals
after Santa Barbara
the nation was divided into pro offshore drilling and anti
offshore drilling
the debate became so contentious
it even became a campaign topic in the 1988 presidential election
. Little did we know what was.
Waiting for us just around the corner
in March of 1989.
The worst oil spill in this nation's history.
It took place on Friday,
when a super tanker owned by the Exxon
Corporation hit a reef 25 miles off the port of Valdez
by today 10 million gallons of oil covered a hundred square miles
of ocean.
We all know
that human activities are changing in the wake of the Exxon Valdez
President HW Bush reacted to the public outcry and banned offshore
drilling
that ban was.
Continued by his successor
and lasted for over 15 years.
It wasn't until 2007
in President George W Bush's second term,
that he lifted his father's 17-year
ban on offshore drilling.
We need to take action now to expand domestic oil production.
So today,
I've issue them more
a memorandum to lift the exactly prohibition on oil exploration in
the ALCS with this action,
the executive branch's restrictions on this exploration have been
cleared away.
Oil means horsepower in a horse power using water.
And Bonnie Shoemaker and
PhD physicist from
California's
to technology.
I've got mine playing out here
in April 20-10 if you do not.
If you see what I can do to help
the scientists that I would take out.
They were actually changed once I took them out there in the plane
, and they saw with their own eyes
that we were flying over miles and miles and miles of non-stop oil
that's when they realize that
this
he.
We probably still hear the leap done the most to force
accountability
and these guys
because when I come back on every flight my report
I put 20
NRC report
Coast Guard has to answer
the oil
and gas company has to answer.
You know,
so it's like
archives he flew again.
No.
Here we go.
Was not pretty,
what I was showing
even even around that BP site the Deepwater Horizon
there was extensive Sheen contingent leakage into 20-12
and I'm not sure that anyone else was wiring that.
That cost them a lot of money to go out there and fix that,
if nobody bothered
said they were
to do anything.
I was not popular
what's wrong with letting people know the truth.
The people of BP made a commitment to the goal
and every day 6.
We worked hard to keep running.
BP has paid over$23
billion
should help people and businesses who are affected,
we're paying for
hospital
related cleanup costs
today
the beaches and go for open for everyone enjoyed
my we're making sure people know that the Gulf is open for
business.
The beaches are fearful
missing food is delicious
last year many areas even reported
record tourism season.
I was going to you.
I'm still here
and so is deepening
correct committed to the car
but everyone who loves it everyone
house and home.
Unfortunately,
things commercial fishermen in Southeast Louisiana
is not as good as those
BP commercially would have you believe.
My friend production is down still down between 40% to 60%
in my area
I make a living
won't
for 29 years
boat.
I can't do it anymore.
Oyster production is down at least 93%
in the last 4 years on
sold about 1500 Saxon
for years
I used to sell that week 240
million now go to BP commercials has a lot of people believe in
that
we're okay.
We're not
people
are losing it because of the,
they can do they want to do follow.
So
you get a choice.
Let's go
do something else to give you an action
will retrain
I say what you
training to be a very sorry.
Now
our cable installer he the one I'm sucks,
you know,
I don't have the education be a brain surgeon I'm on
style cable.
If you take me and put me in the caught up in the field or to
Weldon,
well I'm putting somebody else out of a job.
So here comes a domino effect would tell anybody
oyster production is like the canary in a mine.
Okay.
The canary dies you a job,
get out of there
until we get our Easter population back which
filters the waters.
We're not gonna have a good environment you no commercial
fishermen.
You know you that you know
highs and lows economics highs and lows whether
hurricanes,
you know,
but this man-made disaster just laying around we still in trouble
. The spill has brought to light
up to
a lot of the issues
in the goalkeeper.
All of the ancillary businesses
family
fisheries
the marina
ice house and stabbed the
transportation companies
people will provide snacks and
groceries to stores
all of that is that there are wreck reflection
of what can happen
when things
cease.
After oil spill.
You know they shut
recreational fishing
should commercialization
and
and and
just you know
killed everybody
spoiled
former world rally
Mr. thank you know it's nothing,
and it's a fact every business around.
It's how we
can all the seasons
you notes
oyster season or its crab season it's you know
crop fish season.
You know,
and even that
we're having
some issues with we've taken it for granted for so long
that it's
it's a little disconcerting.
And it feels
different.
How you approach things.
It's affecting my
my life in my culture.
This is not a normal situation.
Just see what it was like
and to see what it is like today.
My name's on Al sunset our e-Colonna and president of P and J
Oyster Company
then in business here for 138
years
and with my brother
we've
owned the business since
the mid 1980s
fitness.
Shopping house
has been an operation
since 1921
you'll see today
that there is no one in here.
Who would have 4 people
here.
6 on
outside the 7 over here
we talk$120
and 40 sacks of voice of the day.
Now
the,
you know,
if we do a 3rd of that that's plenty
were I haven't they get what we can
and
that is of higher quality
and its limit.
We're not going to just
sell anything
we're not gonna do it under our brain.
We've been doing this for 138 years
to
do something that's inferior
wouldn't be the right thing that they do
for our families bills.
Well I
used to get very emotional talking about this,
but have began to be able to
compartmentalize whole thing and
not think about it
as the people that
worked out here in processed our oysters we all grew up with this
cooler
used to always be filled up with product.
I got a few shells that
shells that we shot
over the last 10 days,
Louisiana.
Used to produce 40%
of all the market
oysters
from their public oyster grounds public grounds used to produce
almost 100%
of all see voices and since the
oil disaster.
Those
areas had been non productive more more processors like ourselves
have gone out of business
and
as time goes on.
There's gonna be less of us doing this
because we can hold out.
We haven't received anything from BP,
we've been able
to go through all those years
operation,
our families.
The woman
5 generations now
through all those different Hobson Dion's award
was the natural disasters
and this man-made disasters about the biggest hurdle we've ever
had overcome.
11 million died that day.
Don't forget it.
Every one of those men
they had families
they had wives,
and parents and children.
And all those families have been deprived of their loved ones.
Everybody thinks about the long-term
pollution in the Gulf
and it's out there.
But don't forget,
we're talking about human law.
The industry
over and over again
has proven itself to be
exceedingly irresponsible
irresponsibility
includes.
Covering up
how much they pollute
BP did not want any outside help
an expert
outside help from around the world
was offered.
And rejected.
And the reason they turn them down,
it's because they didn't want anybody to know
exactly how much
oil was being released from that
explosion.
The reason they didn't want anybody to know how much they were
polluting
is because the Faymann
is based on the amount of pollution.
I apologize.
I do not want to live in a country
where any time
a citizen or a corporation
does something that is legitimately wrong.
Is subject
to some sort of political pressure.
That is again in my words.
Amounts to a shakedown.
Local communities and those who joined the response team to help
with the cleanup has not.
Their communities have not recovered.
For them,
life as they know it has changed indefinitely.
They may never get their lives back.
I was,
when people swim in the water.
Right in front of me this far since I was frightened
all the animals are trying to get out the water.
These animals is a liar.
This circus was crawling up water
crabs
mullet
flounder
Shreya.
Everything.
2000 interior
in May.
I want to work with
BP
and
the tragic started in my life.
A 3rd we could
program
I fell out
pay him.
I had to go be rush to the mercy room pump you can throw no shit
almost self-billion up my ass.
It's only been chemically poisoned faces wine
gotcha respirators zone
and yells,
you have
made
suits and yells tape around Young's boots and gloves and
you're our contacts in their new stuff
they never
never give us any,
he said.
You shouldn't be known as water man,
so I would back Thomas supervisor,
the pool blew it out of me.
Me and my wife.
My wife got secondhand exposure,
so I went back told my supervisor
that
put this doctor told me
he told me if I said anything else.
I'd be terminated.
In 2000.
11 are supposed to well
but a fall.
Okay.
Thousand
are so sick
and it was a justice,
in that it was all messed
coming across the ghost duties nets and interest in it dispersants
text everything it touches
it sticks to the Milan.
So
no,
it sticks to my hands.
I see
stick to my shoes and I walk in the house and sticking to the
floor.
It followed me inside
and exposed my family
80 90% my business was repairs because
fishing and
are timely turnaround
rip a hole and when they will smile a Texas
and I've been
drought down because I no longer handle
any kind of
used commercial gear
coming out of government
moves up new
I make
used
you had found some
won't touch your net because I don't touch me
I know.
Stocks.
There's 2 kinds of people,
the ones that
get sick
and ones that are gonna get sick
and so many different things wrong with me now.
And never had problems with
I've lost faith and and
and
an
system.
I think our government
is
prostitute in itself
the pupils
tell should then first
people like myself.
Older people.
We
should have been given some kind of
morning
they made victims
of victims.
I was recovering from Katrina.
But I'm not going to recover.
And.
There's a
human health crisis
regime
in the Gulf.
I don't think a lot of people know they are,
but it's true there are thousands of people who,
in their very very sick
if something along the Gulf Coast syndrome
that people have.
And there are so many symptoms
I,
they are
included in their ability
neurological symptoms like tremors,
memory loss
holes in
their car
in heart symptoms liver damage
kidney damage
here's
skin FMG advantage,
skin rashes,
there's.
Cancer
starting to
emerge
said
causes the oil to enter the body
more readily
correction
is
the solvent.
It opens up so
the cell walls,
it goes through lipid
that's why breaks up the oil once it's in the body oil targets
every organ system
the liver the kidney
the heart,
the brain
everything the mixture of correction in oil
is highly toxic,
we know this.
There have been studies done from previous oil spills,
particularly the
sundown this
oil spill
correct said 95-27 contains a very toxic solvent.
The attacks eternal
it causes internal bleeding
the cleanup workers
were suffering from
internal bleeding hemorrhaging
why would BP
Tuesday years just talk soup dispersant
well first of all,
they're allowed to use it.
Under our current regulations 2
million
gallons of
were released.
We're not just talking about an oil spill.
We're talking about a chemical
experiment.
It was highly experimental
2 years
via
a dispersant
in this
major oil spill.
This is an industry
that has a track record
for running roughshod over local and state governments and
regulators
in the.
Public
and most people just
aren't aware
how massive
of of an enterprise is going on
on the Louisiana coast and a lot of these pipelines were meant to
be in water
and salt water is very corrosive.
So
there is
there's a constant problem with with leaking pipelines.
Without those wetlands.
You know that that's really what's necessary for protecting
you know our coastal communities from storm surge
hurricanes.
You know it's not out of the
stretch of imagination that we could have a multiple blowout
situation
in the Gulf,
combined with a category 5 hurricane
you know
watching all that oil into the shore.
That's what keeps me up at night.
BP disaster was it was predictable poorly regulated
industry,
you know,
maximizing profits cutting corners taking risks
in some senses,
it just happened to be VP.
They're not some outlier
in the industry.
The lessons that should have been learned from the BP disaster,
have not been learned.
There are risky practices that happen any time you're drilling in
deep water.
In terms of
response preparedness
were woefully
unprepared
and fact we would be in a similar situation
that we were
in 2000
and 10
when it comes to mobilizing response
Coast Guard says it's not a matter of
if,
it's a matter of when.
We would like to see
then
helpfully economy will for causing
the largest man made environmental disaster in US history.
The exploration side,
the industry is moving far too fast for the response side
and
it should be the other way around.
There's also this absurd
our nervous system
by the industry to report their own violations
the leaks and spills that we're finding on a regular basis
are quite often vastly
underreported in terms of size
and a lot times it'll get reported at all.
The oil and gas industry is pressuring the federal government to
allow the first step in offshore drilling in the Atlantic as soon
as possible.
This first step
known as seismic air gun blasting
not only leads the way for risky drilling
but threatens the survival of marine species,
caught in the crossfire of these blasts.
Seismic air guns
towed by ships and vast arrays
emit blasts of compressed air into the ocean
mapping the seafloor for deeply buried pockets of oil and gas.
The blasts from these air guns are almost incomprehensible allowed
100,000
times louder than a jet plane engine
and powerful enough to penetrate several miles deep into the sea
floor
the dynamite like blasts a repeated every 10 seconds 24
hours a day
for days to weeks
to even months on end
seismic blasts threaten not only the hearing of marine life
they threaten their very survival.
More than half a million people in coastal communities on the east
coast of the United States depend on a healthy
vibrant Ocean for their livelihoods
seismic air again blasting will put the stability of the regional
fisheries
and those that depend on them in jeopardy.
Our government is currently taking steps to open the Atlantic to
offshore drilling
in every single ocean where we have drilled,
time and time again
we have spill.
It is scary for me to hear
that they want to put offshore oil platforms,
off the coast of the Atlantic
if pretty irresponsible think they're well
you know we've learned our lessons it'll be fine.
If anybody
would like to find out about the real cost for drilling offshore
they should come see us here in Louisiana.
When you don't have a life on a reef the reef is dead.
The habitats that
are usually gets£10,000
a week.
We're down£3,000
a week.
It's not gonna be pretty
life is they know it.
Will,
will be changed.
Mississippi has seen a 50%
drop
in the number of wetlands along our coast
in a 100 year period.
Any time you move in the coming,
oil and gas will move in.
In America,
you can have problems.
You don't have to build.
At what point are we willing to say and.
Democracy
is not a spectator sport.
It sounds sort of rhetorical and cliched but I've lived it.
I've seen it happen.
I've seen communities come together build coalitions.
I know that we can work together
and we can break this cycle.
On 27-2014
carried Beach North Carolina did just that.
The small community came together to oppose their mayor's support
for seismic blasting off their coast
citizen after citizens spoke up
and shared their vision for the coast.
Although not by her appeal
gave me much hands and you what I have
to.
I hope that he will think again
outsized
hasn't
hers
I wonder
you some
things just shouldn't be personnel
he please
Potomac Billiton and beat
them,
as you know everything there is a place
mental fatigue.
If anything
is convictions
enthusiastically
the cost of this.
There is simply too great
Detroit seismic testing
for the false vote
the future revenue.
I really
can't see how to
and I respect if you support offered drilling and seismic
passing I completely respect but as an elected representative,
I believe who their
preference
negative
and I think the people made up
pretty clear tonight.
Was there
they witnessed the public outcry.
The next week
they spoke for their citizens and unanimously voted to oppose
seismic blasting.
A resolution
who didn't
brutish mercurial
mood
the suppose
meters
these permission.
They will be open.
Well,
we're going to get.
You could
turn.
And we're gonna stop offshore drilling
after to what doesn't make sense.
There are many other economically productive ways
that we can
work with our coastline
so many places are heavily dependent on tourism,
which employs more people
this is about dollars and cents.
You know,
people need to be thinking about protecting the assets they have.
Our
communities,
our oceans our economies.
Our future
is our choice.
Let's not let the wants of the few
outweigh the needs of the many
talk to your elected officials
stop Atlantic drilling before it starts.
Join Oceana,
and those who have already taken action
and visit www.drill
spilled repeat..
Like
politicians
that rappers
to make sure
that whatever's
going to happen
is done in a manner so that
people are protected.